Adenosine surge is common thread in ketamine and ECT response
Researchers from the Chinese Institute for Brain Research, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and their collaborators have identified adenosine as the driving force behind the rapid, fast-acting antidepressant effects of ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). “Our journey into this area of research began over a decade ago, around 2013, when the clinical world was buzzing with excitement about ketamine's remarkably rapid antidepressant effects,” Minmin Luo, co-senior author of the study, told BioWorld.

Adenosine surge is common thread in ketamine and ECT response
Researchers from the Chinese Institute for Brain Research, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and their collaborators have identified adenosine as the driving force behind the rapid, fast-acting antidepressant effects of ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). “Our journey into this area of research began over a decade ago, around 2013, when the clinical world was buzzing with excitement about ketamine's remarkably rapid antidepressant effects,” Minmin Luo, co-senior author of the study, told BioWorld.
CGX-926 corrects MC4R deficiency-driven obesity
Melanocortin-4-receptor MC4R is a crucial molecule involved in energy homeostasis, feeding behavior and metabolism, and loss-of-function mutations in this gene are the main monogenic cause of early-onset obesity. Congruence Therapeutics Inc. has developed a small molecule, CGX-926, that corrected MC4R deficiency and restored its cell-surface expression and function.
HMPL-A251 combines HER2 targeting with precision payload
Hutchmed (China) Ltd. has developed HMPL-A251, a novel HER2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) designed to deliver a potent PI3K/PIKK inhibitor directly to tumor cells.
Century Therapeutics unveils β islet program for type 1 diabetes
Century Therapeutics Inc. has announced its first program for type 1 diabetes, CNTY-813. The program comprises induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived β islets engineered with the company’s proprietary Allo-Evasion 5.0 technology, designed to protect from T-cell, NK-cell and humoral immune rejection, with the goal of durable glycemic control without the need for systemic immunosuppression.
Anti-malarial targets P. falciparum phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase with reduced toxicity
In an effort to generate an effective and safer inhibitor, researchers at the University of Cape Town, University of Dundee and Massachusetts Institute of Technology used structure-guided rational design to improve on their previously reported 2,8-diaryl-1,5-naphthyridine inhibitor.
Other news to note for Nov. 14, 2025
Additional early-stage research and drug discovery news in brief.
Novel T-cell activator enhances antitumor response in HNSCC models
Researchers from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Marengo Therapeutics Inc. previously developed a first-in-class, bifunctional therapeutic molecule (STAR-0602) that selectively activates V β6 and V β10 T-cell receptor-expressing T cells and boosts antitumor responses in human ex vivo tumor models.
Numab and Kaken sign agreement for NM-81 for IBD
Numab Therapeutics AG and Kaken Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have entered into a strategic licensing and co-development agreement for NM-81, a multi-specific antibody for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Shouyao patents new MALT1 inhibitors
Shouyao Holdings (Beijing) Co. Ltd. has disclosed mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, erythema and vasculitis.
Charm nominates CHM-029 as development candidate for AML
Charm Therapeutics Ltd. has nominated CHM-029 as a development candidate for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Conferences

CBO-001, a first-in-class L1CAM ADC with preclinical antitumor activity
AACR-NCI-EORTC Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics
CIS Biopharma AG recently presented an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting the L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM/CD171) as a potential candidate for the treatment of advanced tumors.
ITGB6-targeted ADC shows antitumor activity in solid tumor models
AACR-NCI-EORTC Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics
Pinotbio Inc. recently reported a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), named PBX-004, consisting of an ITGB6-targeting antibody conjugated to a potent topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitor payload.
35pharma’s HS-235 as new approach for obesity treatment
Cardiovascular
Researchers at 35pharma Inc. have recently presented data for the activin receptor inhibitor HS-235, which is under development for the treatment of obesity as it exerts body composition and metabolism control.
Gentibio’s GNTI-823 promotes renal repair in AKI models
Nephrology
Gentibio Inc. has developed and presented data for GNTI-823, an allogeneic tissue Treg engineered from peripheral blood CD4+ T cells with CRISPR-based editing to induce FOXP3 expression, a rapamycin-inducible IL-2 signaling complex and an alarmin-responsive transgene.

Cancer

Dual GPX4 and CAIX inhibitors for cancer reported
Two attractive drug targets in tumors are carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), which helps maintain pH homeostasis in the hypoxic tumor, and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), which can reduce oxidative stress. Researchers from Università degli Studi di Firenze and collaborators aimed to inhibit both CAIX...

Infection

Dual-antigen mRNA vaccine protects against lethal DBV challenge
Immune
Investigators from the University of Science and Technology of China and RNAlfa Biotech have described a novel mRNA-based vaccine candidate against Dabie Banda virus (DBV), which has fatality rates of up to 30% in some East Asian countries.

Aligos and KU Leuven divulge new antivirals
Coronavirus
Aligos Therapeutics Inc. and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuken) have synthesized antiviral compounds reported to be useful for the treatment of coronavirus acute respiratory syndrome, norovirus and picornavirus infections.
Agents for Acinetobacter infections named in Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences patent
Patents
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has divulged imidazopyridine derivatives reported to be useful for the treatment of Acinetobacter infections, particularly A. baumannii infections.

Neurology/psychiatric

Drosophila genetic screening reveals mechanisms behind AD pathology
Researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine have characterized 100 conserved Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk orthologue genes in Drosophila and found several with unknown roles in brain structure, function and stress resilience. The implication of this finding is that new pathways of...
Transition Bio and Voyager Therapeutics partner in ALS and FTD
Collaboration
Transition Bio Inc. and Voyager Therapeutics Inc. have entered into a drug discovery collaboration and license option agreement for novel, selective small molecules for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with TDP-43 pathology.
Sage Therapeutics discovers new GluN2A negative allosteric modulators
Patents
Sage Therapeutics Inc. has described sterol derivatives acting as glutamate receptor ionotropic, NMDA 2A (GRIN2A; GluN2A) negative allosteric modulators reported to be useful for the treatment of neurological disorders.
Microglia acting like T cells mitigate Alzheimer’s progression
Science
In Alzheimer’s disease, microglia act as a double-edged sword. They can either protect the brain or worsen the damage, depending on their activation state. Inflammatory activation harms healthy neurons. However, a study reveals that a special type of microglia expressing specific receptors and...
AAX Biotech and Toxotech collaborate in neurological disorders
Collaboration
AAX Biotech AB and Toxotech AB have established a strategic collaboration to advance next-generation biotherapeutics.

Endocrine/metabolic

Korro Bio nominates KRRO-121 as development candidate
Gastrointestinal
Korro Bio Inc. has nominated KRRO-121 as its next development candidate, for the treatment of patients with hyperammonemia, including patients with urea cycle disorders and hepatic encephalopathy.

Biomarkers

With transdiagnostic approach, smaller target groups aren’t inevitably smaller markets
Neurology/psychiatric
Despite the formidable challenges for developing precision psychiatry, the approach is notching its first successes in the preclinical and even some clinical settings. Many individual studies as well as large projects like the Psychiatric Ratings using Intermediate Markers (PRISM) studies and the...

Anchoring, and bootstrapping, psychiatry into the precision medicine era
Neurology/psychiatric
Psychiatry has struggled to enter the precision medicine era. But through a mix of innovations and bootstrapping, progress is coming to the field. Scientists are working on improving diagnoses by investigating potential biomarkers and collection methods.
Biomarker panel of three serum microRNAs predicts cervical cancer prognosis
Cancer
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in cancer development by regulating genes involved in cell growth, differentiation, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. Because their expression patterns differ across tumor types and stages, miRNA profiles hold strong potential as noninvasive diagnostic and...

Gastrointestinal

Genfit and Everzom form research collaboration in liver failure
Collaboration
Genfit SA has established a research collaboration with Everzom SAS to expand its acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) research via exosome-based regenerative technology. The partners plan to conduct exploratory studies to assess efficacy of...
Eilean presents in vivo data on MALT1 degrader TE-205
Degradation inducer
Eilean Therapeutics LLC has presented in vivo data for its first-in-class MALT1 degrader, TE-205, as a disease-modifying therapy for ulcerative colitis.
Interline Therapeutics patent reports RIPK2 inhibitors for IBD
Patents
Interline Therapeutics Inc. has identified new compounds receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 2 (RIPK2; RIP-2) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Daewon Pharm patent reveals new H+/K+-ATPase inhibitors
Patents
Daewon Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has reported new compounds acting as H+/K+-ATPase inhibitors useful for the treatment of reflux esophagitis.
Proqr’s AX-0810 gains European clinical trial clearance
Regulatory
Proqr Therapeutics NV has received clinical trial application (CTA) authorization under the EMA’s new centralized review process for a phase I study of AX-0810, which is being developed for the treatment of cholestatic diseases such as primary...
New mPGES-1 inhibitors disclosed in Nippon Shinyaku patent
Patents
Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. has divulged quinazoline compounds acting as microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, arthritis, bacterial infection,...

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